This invention relates to an automatic sheet finishing device capable of automatically applying finishing such as stapling to a sheet in specified positions thereof.
Binding of a plurality of sheets is generally conducted by stapling the edge-aligned sheets in a desired position at a side portion thereof, or making a hole in such sheets at the side portion thereof and passing a binding material such as a string through the hole. It is apparently effective in binding the sheets more tightly to apply the stapling or like finishing to the sheets in two or more positions at the side portion thereof. These operations have been carried out manually, and have been therefore very cumbersome. Reflecting this, there has been a strong demand for a sheet finishing device capable of automatically carrying out these operations.
In recent years, there have become commercially popular copiers and like image forming apparatus provided with a sorter in which each image of a set of documents is copied onto a plurality of sheets and a series of copy sheets having the same image are automatically sorted into each of a plurality of bin trays. It is apparent that the sheet finishing can be carried out more efficiently with a device capable of automatically stapling and making a hole for binding in the plurality of sheets sorted by such a sorter. Reflecting this, there has been a great demand for an automatic sheet finishing device which is usable in combination with the sorter and capable of automatically carrying out sheet finishing.